VillageLivingOnline.com
September 2017 • A19
BWF holds Forest Fling Brookwood Forest Elementary held the annual Forest Fling on April 21. Students, teachers and staff had a lot of fun. BWF incoming kindergarten students also joined in the fun. BWF parents volunteered their time by providing baked goods and working different booths such as Free the Beast, Happenin’ Hair, Sand Art, Fancy Fingers, numerous inflatables, and all kinds of carnival treats. The sixth-graders had fun taking turns in the dunking booth, an annual tradition. The Forest Fling was chaired by Patti Wilkerson. – Submitted by Kathleen Woodry.
Brookwood Forest students Charlotte Schroer, Katherine Dean, Anna Richards and Olivia Hazelrig at Forest Fling. Photo courtesy of Kathleen Woodry.
CES welcomes 8 new teachers There was so much to look forward to as summer came to a close and children, parents and teachers began to anticipate the beginning of a new school year. A new year means new friends and new teachers, not to mention the possibility of new clothes and school supplies. There is much excitement and energy associated with going back to school. As the 2017-18 school year gets underway, Crestline is excited to welcome a group of eight new teachers to their family. This energetic bunch comes to Crestline with 59 years of combined teaching experience. While the children were away from the school during the summer, much preparation was completed. The new staff members participated in new teacher training and worked with their mentors throughout much of the summer. In addition, they prepared their classrooms and worked on lesson plans, so that they were ready to meet and greet each new smiling face on the first day of school.
Teachers Paige Tatarek, PE; Kendra Bierbrauer, enrichment; Susan Weston, fourth grade; Melinda Howe, fifth grade; Michelle Ramsey, first grade; Lindsay Westlake, first grade; and Lauren Kiser, third grade/intervention. Photo courtesy of Caroline Springfield.
One of these new teachers said that joining the Crestline staff was a “dream come true.” – Submitted by Caroline Springfield.
Summer filled with technology, robotics, coding and much more The school year may have ended May 23, however teaching never stops. Throughout the summer, the doors of Crestline Elementary were opened for learning. Teams of Crestline teachers offered camps. Third-grade teachers Tara Davis and Laura Rives offered a week-long TechCamp for rising third-, fourth- and fifth-graders. This camp provided students an opportunity to learn more about Google Classroom and work within the framework to create, format and share documents and presentations. Most importantly, the curriculum focused on Digital Citizenship, meaning teaching children how to safely research information and pictures. Fourth-grade science teacher Amy Anderson provided two opportunities for Coding and Robotics Camp open to rising first through sixth-graders. The children were introduced to and worked with Ozobot, Dash and Dot, 3-D Printing, and Osmo. Ozobot and Dash and Dot are interactive robots that allow children to practice coding skills. Osmo is a tool that transforms your iPad
Weston Barringer and Georgia Jayne Stuckey study at Tech Camp in June at Crestline Elementary. Photo courtesy of Caroline Springfield.
into a hands-on learning tool. The basic features focus on math, spelling and drawing. The 3D printer is used to create three-dimensional objects in which layers of material are formed under computer control. All aspects of this camp fostered creativity and problem solving through hands on play. – Submitted by Caroline Springfield.
MBE students among poetry contest winners
Eva Jane Worthen, shown reading her poem at the Board of Education meeting, came in third place with her poem “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Photo courtesy of Kate Mather.
Three students from Cindy Peavy’s Mountain Brook Elementary third-grade class won awards in the Poetry Society of Virginia’s annual student poetry contest. Baker Cullum placed second with his poem titled “I Am.” Eva Jane Worthen came in third place with her poem “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.” McCray Faust’s poem “Dewdrops” earned her first honorable mention. These students were competing against thirdand fourth-graders from across the country. Peavy has had students place near the top of this contest each year that they have entered. – Submitted by Kate Mather.